ASL BAUHINIA Fire: No Link to Houthi Activity, JMIC Reports
A fire broke out on the Hong Kong-flagged containership ASL BAUHINIA in the Red Sea, which has been officially confirmed as unrelated to Houthi militant activity. This was reported by the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
The incident happened in the early hours of January 28, 2025, when the crew detected a fire on the deck approximately 122 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, Yemen. After failing to control the fire, the crew abandoned the ship and was safely rescued by a nearby vessel.
“JMIC assesses this incident has no association to Houthi targeting,” the center stated, adding that the cause is still under investigation and will be clarified after salvage operations.
The ASL BAUHINIA, a 1,930 TEU vessel built in 2022, was traveling from Jebel Ali to Aqaba via the Suez Canal at the time of the incident. Preliminary reports from security sources indicate that the fire might have been caused by an explosion involving hazardous cargo.
This incident occurred as shipping services in the region are expected to gradually resume following recent developments in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. JMIC has advised ships near the ASL BAUHINIA to report their positions to UKMTO.
